A Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District behavioral specialist is facing a felony charge after a 16-year-old non-verbal student with autism died following an alleged assault at a school for students with disabilities.
Donald Cameron Perkins, 50, has been charged with injury to a disabled individual, a third-degree felony, according to Harris County court records. The incident occurred April 23 at the Carlton Pre-Vocational Center, a Cy-Fair ISD campus that provides specialized life skills and vocational training for students with disabilities.
According to court documents, Cy-Fair ISD police were called to the campus around 8 a.m. to investigate a medical emergency. The student’s parents told officers their son had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at a young age and was essentially non-verbal in his daily life.
Investigators said the student had taken a piece of food from a bus driver and put it in his mouth while on a school bus. Perkins was summoned to the bus, removed the student, and began escorting him to his classroom. Surveillance video obtained by police told a different story than the account Perkins gave investigators, according to court documents. Perkins told officers the student fell near an exterior door of the school; footage from the area did not corroborate that account.
Video from inside the school showed Perkins increasing the force of his handling of the student as they approached the classroom. An investigating officer wrote in court documents that he observed Perkins, at the 7:06:26 a.m. mark, extend both arms and forcefully push the student from behind. The student became briefly airborne before landing chest-down on the tile floor, with his hands and knees also striking the ground. Court documents note a loud thud was audible on the classroom audio recording at the point of impact.
The officer wrote that the push was not within the bounds of reasonable discipline and was unprovoked and excessive, particularly since Perkins knew the student still had food in his mouth and had a documented history of choking hazards.
After sitting down, the student began removing his clothing, which staff recognized as abnormal behavior. Within roughly 90 seconds of sitting down, staff could be heard on the audio saying the student was choking. A trash can was brought over, with staff initially thinking he might vomit. The student’s body went limp, and Perkins attempted the Heimlich maneuver but was unsuccessful.
Emergency personnel were called, and the student was transported by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital before being airlifted to Texas Children’s Hospital at the Texas Medical Center. The student suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation, and multiple brain scans showed no activity. His father informed investigators on April 29 that his son had died.
Perkins was arrested and later released after posting a $30,000 bond, according to ABC13. He is set to appear in court Monday morning.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office declined to explain the specific charge, citing a desire to protect the integrity of the investigation, but a legal analyst said that the statute is tailored to people in this line of work and that a charge like manslaughter would require proving intent or criminal negligence, which is complicated by Perkins having attempted to help the student after the fall. The analyst added that the charge could change as the investigation continues.
Perkins has been employed by Cy-Fair ISD since August 2018, according to KPRC2. He remains on administrative leave.
Cy-Fair ISD Superintendent Dr. Doug Killian released a statement saying the district does not tolerate conduct that compromises student safety and that it is cooperating fully with law enforcement. “We are devastated by the loss of one of our students,” Killian said. “My most sincere prayers are with the family, and we grieve alongside them during this heartbreaking time.” The student’s name has not been released due to privacy laws.
